By Bisi Daniels
Some church elders say, like Elisha and his Master, Elijah; Pastor Enoch Adeboye paid great attention to his Father-in-the-Lord and founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the late Pastor Josiah Akindayomi.
On one of their many visits to the United States, years ago, one of the occupants of their car angrily challenged a careless driver of another car, making Pastor Akindayomi say, “Sanctification!”
Sanctification is a strange word to many people and hardly used even in some churches, but as Pastor Adeboye stressed at the plenary session on the third day of the church’s 2022 National Convention, it is a key factor in our relationship with God.
According to Wikipedia, “Sanctification or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means “to set apart for special use or purpose”, that is, to make holy or sacred. Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. “made holy”, as a vessel, full of the Holy Spirit of God.”
Another source says to “sanctify” a person is to make him holy.
According to Pastor Adeboye, what Pa Akindayomi meant that day in the US, was the need for anger control and even elimination, as well as desisting from the use of foul language.
Known widely as a holiness church, led by a holy General Overseer, RCCG has always stressed the importance of holiness, as Pastor Adeboye did on Wednesday.
The General Overseer was concerned that after receiving salvation, some people skip the process of sanctification, to have baptism.
“ Of what use is Jubilee or salvation for a new beginning if it is not perfect, if it doesn’t last?” He asked.
Continuing, he said: Everybody knows that wounds can heal, but almost immediately, the healed wound becomes a scar.
* So, if after salvation, you blow it, the jubilee can bring restoration but the scars may remain.
* When the blessings begin to flow in, don’t forget that it is God Who gives you power to make wealth.
Citing the Solomon example, he sad God blessed him greatly but he blew it by marrying woman he was barred from and they led him astray. In the end, he said all his enormous wealth amidst sin was vanity – vanity, vanity, all was vanity.
So, Pastor Adeboye admonished the congregation that even in our good moments we must remember God and live in the ways of the Lord to please Him and not forget Him, because He is able to erase His goodness to us when we pay Him back with what he hates. The Almighty God who gave Solomon the kingdom is the same God who took it away from him.
The General Overseer noted that naturally, man has a heart of stone, which is desperately wicked. So, to change the heart and make it acceptable to God, we necessarily have to undergo Sanctification after salvation, before rushing for baptism of the Holy Spirit.
* If you ignore sanctification, as many people are won’t to do, the blessings that come, could become curses. But with sanctification, whatever is in you, like anger and lust, that will turn your blessings to a curse, will be removed.
* If you say you’re a good Christian but you’re not sanctified, you’re like a house without walls.
Before the altar call for salvation, he cautioned that one cannot even begin to talk about sanctification if one is not saved; the reason one must surrender completely to God to enjoy Perfect Jubilee.
The sermon at the Old Auditorium and broadcast around the world, was preceded with a service of songs, which featured many choirs.
The General Overseer however said the New Auditorium, will be put to use from Thursday, from where people could watch the broadcast. It had been wrongly reported that the auditorium, fondly called the Arena was used on Tuesday.
